Mysti Adkins, left, Marissa Recny and Viola Recny took a break from painting Wednesday to get in a mid-afternoon walk. / Daniel Carson/News-Messenger

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Mysti Recny, a Gibsonburg resident, talks a break from walking around the Fremont reservoir's walking path and sits by the city's boat ramp Wednesday. The city will not open the reservoir boat ramp until a decision is made on the use of gas powered boat motors at the site. Daniel Carson/News-Messenger. / Daniel Carson/News-Messenger

Viola Recny tests the water at the Fremont reservoir's still unopened boat ramp Wednesday, as she took a break from a mid-afternoon walk around the reservoir walking path. Fremont City Council must still decide whether to allow gas powered boat motors on the reservoir. Daniel Carson/News-Messenger. / Daniel Carson/News-Messenger

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FREMONT — With warmer weather hitting the area this week, walkers and joggers are already visiting the Fremont reservoir and taking advantage of the recreational opportunities provided by its walking path.

But boaters will have to wait a little longer to get on the water, as the city continues to assess whether to allow gas powered motors on the reservoir’s surface.

Mayor Jim Ellis said the city hoped to have the reservoir parking lot done and open by the end of May. Until city council makes a decision regarding gas powered boat motors, however, Ellis said the city will close off the boat ramp entrance.

In February, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife Chief Scott Zody reiterated to the council that the city must allow gas-powered boat motors on the reservoir under the agreement the city signed with ODNR to provide $5 million toward reservoir construction costs.

Opponents of gas powered boat motors pressed Zody and city council members on the risks of contaminating the city’s drinking water source.

Fremont Law Director Jim Melle said the city is still in the process of looking at the legal issues surrounding the gas powered boat motors and the city’s agreement with ODNR.

He said there had not been anyone from city council who had brought up the possibility of drafting a gas powered boat motors ordinance since the February meeting with Zody.

“Nobody’s asked about it,” Melle said.

City council president Jim Weaver said he has had separate conversations with two council members about the issue and the possibility of bringing it back before the council.

The council tabled a vote on allowing gas-powered boat motors and public fishing agreement indefinitely in February.

Weaver said Wednesday that he wanted to let the issue settle for a couple of months and predicted that it may come up again in June or July.

He said that he thought the only way it would come up again is a council member wanted a vote on a new gas powered boat motor/public fishing ordinance that would conflict with the city’s agreement with ODNR.

The council president said that ODNR officials had consistently been clear about their interpretation of the agreement, and the city’s need to repay the $5 million if it adopted rules in opposition to the contract.

“I think everyone’s aware of that,” Weaver said.

The mayor said the city plans to put a rule board up for visitors to the walking path and boat ramp.

Viola Recny, Mysti Adkins and Marissa Recny took a mid-afternoon break Wednesday from painting a Fremont office to take walk around the reservoir’s walking path.

They said they enjoyed having the walking path as another recreational outlet.

“We were just talking and we were wondering when they were going to pave the walking path,” Viola Recny said, before she and her daughters started a second loop around the walking path.

The city also got word this week that the state Environmental Protection Agency had approved the city’s $7 million loan application, which will primarily go toward paying HM Miller $6.75 million as part of a negotiated reservoir-related lawsuit settlement.

Ellis said the city got an email Monday regarding the loan agreement.

He said the EPA director would likely sign the agreement in the next 10 days, with a check being cut to HM Miller once the loan account is set up.